Ebooks made up 20% of the U.S. consumer book industry in 2012, up from 15% in 2011
photo: Shutterstock
The U.S. consumer book publishing industry had a strong 2012, fueled in part by the growth of ebooks. Read more at paidContent »
Stories for May. 14, 2013
Dots game from Betaworks hits 100 million game plays in first 2 weeks
Have you played Dots yet? Chances are good that if you downloaded the new game from Betaworks, you’ve played a game or two, since users have now played more than 100 million games since the app launched. Read more »
This electromagnetic coil can detect brain injuries wirelessly
photo: Cesar A. Gonzalez
This medical diagnostic can detect brain swelling or bleeding, says new research, and is a cheap substitute for CT scans. Read more »
This is why big data is the sweet spot for SaaS
photo: Shutterstock / Andrea Danti
When it comes to using big data technology effectively, there’s a lot to like about SaaS. When companies like BloomReach create and analyze massive web-wide data sets, they automate insights that almost no individual company could discover on its own. Read more »
Homeland Security seizes funds at main Bitcoin exchange
The US Government has taken its most serious action yet against the popular cyber-currency Bitcoin by shutting down transfers between payment provider Dwolla and a Japanese exchange where the currency is traded. Read more »
Reports: Google will launch music subscription service at I/O
photo: paidContent / Amanda Natividad
Google is set to launch a music subscription service at its Google I/O developer conference Wednesday, according to multiple reports. The service will compete with Spotify and similar services. Read more at paidContent »
Enter GIV Mobile: a virtual operator that donates to your favorite charities
As more MVNOs populate the mobile landscape, it’s becoming harder for one virtual operator to distinguish itself from another. GIV is separating itself from the pack by focusing on charitable giving. Read more »
GigaOM hits Google I/O 2013 (roundup)
Here you’ll find all our coverage of Google I/O 2013, Google’s annual showcase of its technology prowess. Read more »
What SolarCity’s earnings say about the challenges of building a solar retail business
SolarCity is one of the leaders when it comes to installing solar panels on home owner’s rooftops. But the company’s $31 million loss, in its latest quarter, shows the growing pains for the retail solar players. Read more »
Amazon staffs up to give Trusted Advisor more powers
AWS has big plans for its Trusted Advisor and other enterprise support offerings but giving more metrics to customers will irk third-party service partners. Read more »
$349 Nvidia Shield mobile gaming console is high-powered and premium priced
Nvidia surprised and impressed at January’s CES with its Project Shield mobile gaming console. Pricing and availability details are here: If you were expecting something priced to compete with Sony’s PS Vita, you’ll be disappointed. Read more »
Wal-Mart gets PaaS and social software chops through OneOps, Tasty Labs buys
photo: Jordan Novet
@WalmartLabs has picked up OneOps and Tasty Labs, which will enable rapid application development and social applications. The buys make sense with Wal-Mart trying to offer rich experiences that best other online retailers. Read more »
German online publishers’ anti-adblock campaign backfires
A public campaign by some of the biggest German online publishers against ad-blocking software may have backfired, as downloads of one popular ad-blocking product have more than doubled. Read more at paidContent »
Crowdsourcing is here to stay — now it’s about building tools for networked journalism
photo: Flickr / Christian Scholz
NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen says that many of the cultural barriers to doing “networked journalism” have been lowered, and he is trying to help media outlets develop smart tools and ways of making use of crowdsourcing. Read more at paidContent »
Connectify brings its broadband channel bonding service to the cloud
photo: Connectify
Connectify is going back to the drawing board — and back to Kickstarter — to develop a better version of broadband connection aggregation software. Read more »
Meet the 6 startups from the inaugural accelerator of French telco Orange
Orange, the French telco giant, unveiled the first 6 startups in its inaugural accelerator program, including startups building hardware and software for the developing world, and startups using data to make clouds and online identities secure. Read more »
Welcome to the post-normal age of work
In today’s world of work, companies that want to thrive need to shift from a business-process defined culture towards a more social network-shaped, cooperative one. Read more »
Makers go to market with hardware startups for learning, play, and IoT
photo: Amanda Alvarez
Hardware accelerator HAXLR8R unveiled its newest class of startups at a demo day in San Francisco on Monday. Pitches included smart devices from kids’ toys to sex toys. Read more »
Data center space in parts of New Jersey is 4 times the cost of space in Manhattan
Northern New Jersey is a hotbed for data centers, with New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq data located there. And there’s considerable demand for rented space nearby, meaning Equinix and the like are keeping busy. Read more »
Apple sued over faulty power button on iPhone 4
A new lawsuit claims the iPhone4 has a defective on-off button. The national class action claims Apple knew about the defect but didn’t disclose it even as it worked with AT&T to sell 2 year contracts. Read more »
500 Startups announces latest batch of accelerator companies
500 Startups announced the 28 companies that will make up its summer incubator batch. The companies will launch in July at demo days in Mountain View, San Francisco, and New York. Read more »
Sponsored post: Hasta la vista desktop – introducing Ektron Responsinator
Imagine if you could increase your mobile leads over 350 percent and reduce development efforts. Responsive web design is the craze when it comes to making websites look great on a multitude of devices. This is the must do for web designers and marketers too. Read more »
BlackBerry expands its World: New Q5 phone and promises of BBM on iOS, Android
photo: BlackBerry
BlackBerry continues to gain product momentum with a new handset for emerging markets, 120,000 total apps for BlackBerry 10 and BBM for other phones. Can it push Windows Phone aside as the third mobile platform? Read more »
Google Ventures invests in OpenCoin, the firm behind Bitcoin exchange Ripple
Ripple is a distributed exchange that can be used for Bitcoin and other currencies, too. Google Ventures and IDG’s investment is the latest in a recent string for firms handling virtual currencies. Read more »
With Square Stand, Jack Dorsey & Co. reimagine the cash register
photo: Pinar Ozger
Square, which started with a small card reader that plugged into an iPhone’s audio jack has made an iPad-based point of sale system, that is a warning shot across the bow of competitors such as Verifone. It also is a sign of Square’s grand ambitions. Read more »
iOS app team behind Clear takes a shot at photos app, Analog Camera
Yes, it includes filters like every other photo app, but it also allows for a quick succession of shots to be taken. Then there’s a grid for helping to more easily select the best shot taken and best filter. Read more »
Cisco survey: Consumers are getting comfortable with the idea of the driverless car
photo: Cisco Systems
Fifty-seven percent of drivers Cisco surveyed said they would let themselves be chauffeured around town by a driverless car. The number was even higher among Americans. Read more »
Microsoft’s Tami Reller: Windows Blue, or Windows 8.1, will be free to upgraders
Microsoft’s CMO promised an easy upgrade route for both Win 8 and Win RT users to Windows 8.1. Read more »
CollegeFeed wants to give students training wheels for the job hunt
CollegeFeed, a new startup from a former Googler, wants to make the online career network more relevant for college kids. Read more »
RelayRides buys up car sharing startup Wheelz for the tech
Peer-to-peer car sharing company RelayRides has bought up startup Wheelz, partly for its automated system that lets users easily unlock and drive away in a car without having to get a key from the owner. Read more »
We’re witnessing the rise of the graph in big data
Graph databases and graph-processing applications have been popping up all over the place lately, and now they’re starting to go commercial. On Tuesday, popular open source project GraphLab joined the ranks of graph startups. Read more »
Man bites dog: Microsoft Outlook.com embraces Gmail users
Well, embrace is too strong a word, but Microsoft says it’s making it easier for colleagues and friends with different mail accounts to chit chat. Read more »
Kids’ reading app Ruckus partners with CT Public Television to create CPTV-branded app
photo: Ruckus Media Group
In an interesting public-private partnership, children’s reading app Ruckus is teaming up with Connecticut Public Television to offer a CPTV-branded kids’ iOS app. Read more at paidContent »
Aereo will launch in Atlanta in June, and is changing its pricing plans everywhere
photo: Aereo
Aereo announced Tuesday that it will launch in Atlanta in June. It’s already available in the New York City area, and will launch in Boston on Wednesday. The company also simplified its pricing plans, eliminating daily and yearly options. Read more at paidContent »
Sponsored post: Apple devices become business communications tools with ShoreTel Dock
Apple iPads and iPhones can become unified communications end points for workers using ShoreTel Dock to transform the devices into business desk phones and enterprise collaboration tools, utilizing voice, IM presence and conferencing on a favored, personal device as they follow the BYOD trend. Read more »
Cloudant snares $12M from Rackspace and others to build awareness for its cloudy database
photo: ca$hcats.biz
Cloudant will use its new cash to build out staff and offices in the U.K and Asia and to build awareness of its NoSQL database-as-a-service worldwide. Read more »
A bet on Bitcoin: new VC fund invests in currency startups
The Bitcoin Boost Fund, announced on Tuesday, will give $50,000 to seven startups. The news comes at a time of swelling interest — and serious investment — into the new currency. Read more »
A boost for brain training: Lumosity can help lift ‘chemo fog,’ study finds
Do brain training programs actually work? While research is mixed, a new study finds that Lumosity exercises can improve mental functioning in patients who experienced cognitive impairment after chemotherapy. Read more »
The Hue lightbulb makes some connected friends and gets new skills
photo: Philips
Philips is giving its connected Hue light bulb an update that connects it to IFTTT so people can tie their light bulbs into existing web services. It’s also adding a location-aware feature and scheduling. Read more »
LogMeIn and ARM want to help you build the internet of things
LogMeIn has launched a cloud platform that inventors and developers can use to create next-generation connected devices, and it’s partnered with ARM to provide a “Jumpstart” kit to speed up the process. Read more »
